Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.) has been selected by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) to receive the 9th Annual NAICU Award for Advocacy of Independent Higher Education. The award will be presented at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, February 5, at the NAICU 2002 Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill Hotel in Washington, D.C.

McKeon will receive the award from NAICU President David L. Warren, who will be joined by eight California private college and university leaders: Judith Albino, Alliant International University; Jonathan Brown, Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities; Donald DeRosa, University of the Pacific; Jacqueline Doud, Mount St. Mary’s College; Alice Hayes, University of San Diego; Robert Humphreys, Humphreys College; Steven Lavine, California Institute of the Arts; Robert Lawton, Loyola Marymount University; and John Oblak, Notre Dame de Namur University.

The NAICU Advocacy Award was established in 1993 to recognize individuals outside academe who have championed the cause of independent (private) nonprofit higher education. Whether in government, business, or philanthropy, the recipient of this award has provided leadership, established resources, or enacted policy at the national or state level to significantly benefit private colleges and universities and their students.

"No one in Congress has done more to keep higher education accessible and affordable for millions of students from all backgrounds," said NAICU President David L. Warren. "We are pleased to offer Buck McKeon a wholehearted ‘thank you’ on behalf of American private higher education."

In 2001, McKeon was named chairman of the new House Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, with jurisdiction over the Title IV student aid programs, including Pell Grants, Perkins Loans, and Federal Work-Study. Prior to that, McKeon served as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training, and Life-Long Learning, which also oversaw federal student aid, since 1995.

"During his tenure, Buck McKeon has distinguished himself as a fair-minded and even-handed leader," Warren said. "His willingness to listen and his commitment to decide issues on their merits have earned him widespread respect among his congressional colleagues and throughout the higher education community."

McKeon’s major achievements on behalf of higher education include:

While the commission was created during a time of heated discourse and finger-pointing over rising tuitions, he guided the group’s work to become a resource for serious dialogue and credible research, rather than a lightning rod for political debate. Since the publication of the commission’s report, colleges have increased their attention to cost containment and have continued to undertake a series of innovative strategies to make college more affordable.

• Undertaking the "Fed.UP" Project to Encourage the Reduction of Unneeded or Redundant Regulation of Higher Education by the Federal Government

After launching the "Fed.UP" initiative last summer, McKeon has received more than 3,000 suggestions on legal requirements and regulations that might be removed or refined. He is now actively working with the U.S. Department of Education and his congressional colleagues to review and act on these suggestions.

Born and raised in Tujuna, Calif., McKeon served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after his graduation from high school, then attended Brigham Young University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. From 1978 to 1987, he served on the William S. Hart Union High School District Board of Trustees. In 1987, when the city of Santa Clarita, Calif., was incorporated, he was elected as a member of the first city council. He then served as the city’s first mayor until he ran for the House seat in 1992.